Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-03

A Searching Letter that was SURPRISES
and Afterward Published.


Searching Letter that Suppressed
and Afterward Published.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25-The following letter
from Mayor Hewitt was to have been read
ut the New York Southern Society's ban
quet Tuesday night:
There was but one exception TO the Constltu-
ton, as originally framed. 10 the guarantee OF
personal liberty TO every citizen. and the re-
suit on the fortunes of the North ard South
was most marked and is now apparent to every
student OF politics. Where laoor1s free and the
citizen may dispose OF his time and enort as ne
sees lit progress. even where natural resources
are few is inevitable. The resources OF the
South in coal and iron and the other useful
metals were perfectly well known before the
civil war I called attention TO them as early
as 1856. and predicted then the development
which is now going almost miraculous In its
extent and rapidity. suppose the demonstra-
ton is complete, even to every Southern man,
that the liberty of the citizen is essential TO the
prosperity of society.
And yet, while this demonstration has been
going on for years in the South. retrograde
movement has been inaugurated In the North
looking to the enslavement of the citizen and
the destruction of all rights of free action, ex-
cept so far as it may be exercised IN the choice
OF irresponsible agents to whom secret organ
ization sees fit to intrust power. Within the
last few weeks we have seen large bodies OF
men confessing that they had no grievances de-
liberately quit work on the order OF secret
tribunal whose power they dared not can IN
It is incredible that in the North where the
fruits of free government and OF the personal
right OF each man TO employ himself according
to his own will, have been so conspicuously
demonstrated by the growth of a hundred years,
any man would be willing TO sacrifice his per
sonal independence and yield it TO ignorant, sell
fish and INSCRIPTIONS leaders, using this power
only for their personal advantage. Indeed.
such tyranny would never have been pos
sible but for the ingenious and dangerous
heresy, which made it possible for men TO re-
fuse to work with other men who have not seen
tit to join these secret organizations. Society
never contemplates that this power would be
exercised so as TO practically reduce any por-
ton of the workmen of the land TO the condition
Of not being able to get work upon any terms
whatever, except compulsory membership with
organizations governed by secret and IRE
sponsible tribunal. When men who are seeking
work find that there is only one condition upon
which they can get it, they must surrender their
private views and their personal independence
to the necessities of the case. The sacrifice
having beer made, the power of the leaders be-
comes absolute. We all sympathise with the
workingmen Of the country and are glad that
the wages of the country are steadily on the in
crease We rejoice that capital has so in
creased that it daily becomes cheaper to those
who compelled to borrow it, because labor
profits when the cost of capital is reduced. But
the benefit which would thus under natural laws
accrue to the great mass OF the people is
largely if not entirely, neutralzed by the losses
of compulsory strikes and enforced idleness.
No one would interfere with the right of
free association on the part of any class of our
citizens. On the contrary, such associations are
to be encouraged up to the point where they
undertake to deprive the citizen of his personal
liberty. At this point not only the Constitution
of the country is attacked, but its progress in
wealth will be checked and all incentives TO
special efforts in order to achieve the larger re-
ward due to skill and genius will be arrested.
Hence you of the South and we Of the
North must take a firm and decided po-
stion, that under circumstances will
we permit the labor of the citizen to
be enslaved, and that if additional legis-
lation is required to meet this new and
perniclous movement which would relegate the
North to the condition in which the South was
before the war in regard to its labor, no time
should be lost in securing its enactment There
is no doubt that revision OF the laws relating
to employment is necessary, and. while have
abundant faith in the good sense OF our people,
and in the utter failure OF class movements,
which are at war with the fundamental princi-
pies of the constitution, my experience has
taught me that the safeguard of the law is alb
solutely essential for the security of society,
and that the enforcement of the law is the best
guarantee OF the stability of industry and the
equitable distribution of wealth. Very truly
yours, ADRIAN 5. HEWITT.
WHY THE LETTER WAS NOT READ.
The Sun says: Mayor Hewitt was in
vited to attend the Brooklyn dinner, but de-
clined in a long letter. In the letter was Il
sentence saying that certain high officials,
leaders of the Democratic party, had pan
dered to the labor vote, and deploring their
action. The dinner committee, by a major
ity vote, decided that the letter should be
read at the dinner. One of the majority
suggested that Mr.. Hewitt be asked to cut
out the sentence. 1t was then decided that
the letter should be read as it stood, as Mr..
Hewitt would have been permitted to say
the same thing if he had been present
Then one of the minority su omitted the let
ter to Governor Hill. A member of the
majority said that the Governor returned
word that he would not come if the letter
were to be read. The Governor came and
the letter was not read. The majority did
not know what had become of it, and the
minority refused to say any thing about it,
Mayor Hewitt last night Intimated that if
his stenographer yet had the notes of his
letter of regret which is said to have been
suppressed at the Brooklyn dinner at the
instance of Governor Hill, he (the mayor
would have it reproduced and made public.
Mayor Hewitt in a conversation about 1t
seemed in an extremely high state Of nerv-
Gus tension.
Q